"VC assault on the US Embassy, Tet Offensive" Topic

We all know they never got inside, we all know the press (now called the Media) grossly exaggerated their success.

Indeed I know we have seen them here in a much earlier post, but now they are painted up (which I think, stress think) we did not see. By Andy Singleton

Anyway Ged found this image, which may be totally new to us. May be, if not, here is it anyway, from Gringos 40

Yes, apologies.

July 2020 we saw this.

Ich vill appeal der "Nuremberg Defence" (UK spelling).

I vos only obeying orders……(they still hanged them)

Well – I missed it – and I glad of the repost.

So I will be a character witness at your trial…

Thanks!

Armand

They are very nice. I did my Vietnam project five years too soon. I painted 200 Marines, Sailors, and Vietnamese. It was fun, but I know have plate envy. Great sculpts!

For Tet you might want to exacto knife their hair a touch tighter.

Just before Tet, you wouldn't believe the number of reports of military age males all over the place in each city and town. More importantly, their really keen short haircuts. Most if not most of the Tet in towns was conducted by NVA in drag as it were.

Always nice sculpt.

Who do I have to sleep with to get more ARVN sculpt come out?

Maybe that is too much, but even the threat of me emailing your spam box with my picture in a spandex banana hammock should be enough to get you cracking out more.

Keep up the good work.

thank chaps for the great input….troopwo especially.(doubled the guard!! lol……………..

as far as i can ascertain liam is corrrect..though one guy from the C10 Sapper battalion managed to get in..and despite the CS Gas reached the 1st floor..and with his Russian AK47 sprayed the room the US Colonel was hiding in,,he was the guy they passed a pistol too..( not sure of his exact rank but he lived behind the Embassy in his own room "off campus",and he knew the VC guy would have to reload,as he did he stood up from where he was hiding and shot him dead. He was eventually presented with a trophy of the AK47duly mounted for his actions by General Westmorland. its a fascinating story..with the Embassy "Driver" in cahoots,,and one more local i believe. the Brand New AK47s were smuggled in boxes of tomatoes!.well planned but the leaders were shot at the outset..so command and control went out the window
regards
Ged
gringo40s.com
gringo40s.blogspot.com

Looks good … for being VC & all ! 😁

Legion 4 many thanks!!

regards
Ged
gringo40s.com
gringo40s.blogspot.com

and even I cannot offer any alibi for these gents not being VC………….!

As far as recall they were not even Northerners in the VC.

As Troopwo above comments, we also want to see "the good guys" from VN.

The more ARVN figures, the more popular the range will become, of that I am convinced. In the early days buyers will fear starting a collection and then finding they have no MG crews for example.

I'm weird that way.
I buy a platoon at a time in 28mm.

After Tet '68 north Vietnamese became the majority in the NLF main force ranks. Even before there were many north Vietnamese in the NLF making up the numbers and providing cadres to build new units around.

This is, I think well established.

There were clues about the origins of VN and these still apply today. Accent is very different. Build, stature and skin tone also. And haircuts. For some reason the PAVN all had standard and distinct haircuts. Or so it was said. Some did.

All PAVN troops also carried 'black pyjamas' with them as they are standard civilian clothes in all regions and in order to be able to blend in with NLF units or peasants if required. The Dac Cong wore civilian clothes during this attack so as to blend in in Saigon before and after.

So – there were undoubtedly PAVN regulars and 'Dac Cong' infiltrating cities before Tet '68. I have read articles recounting the experience of some of them in the local newspapers.

But the US was 'winning' so their eyes were 'off the ball' in the same manner as was the case pre-battle of the Bulge.

That's what made the PR impact of Tet so great. It did not achieve the general uprising that was its goal. And losses were very heavy [I never trust the US body counts and the Vietnamese side will never publish an accurate figure] but could be recouped.

I have heard/read that there was a cynical plan in Hanoi to deplete NLF numbers during Tet to make the post victory situation simpler – but suspect that to be US propaganda and not based on anything more than supposition. It was certainly convenient though I do not believe it was ever the intention.

So – despite being a costly failure for the NLF/PAVN it was effective in changing popular opinion of the war and in Washington. No matter how much Westmoreland claimed to have achieved a mighty victory – he was no longer to be trusted since he had said the NLF were virtually finished before the attacks.

They did not launch the attacks to change US opinion or strategy. It was supposed to be a knock out blow. To be honest, I think it was a mistaken and risky plan – but it worked and marked the beginning of the end to the US in SEA. And no US no GVN. That surely is established beyond all reasonable doubt.

So – whether or not the Dac Cong sappers got into the Embassy is not important. They got close and that was enough. I think they actually did get in as mentioned above. They all died in the attack or after capture so there is nothing from the other side to go on.

Yes, after Tet many of the VC ranks were very much attrited …

I think Skarper's analysis of the significance of Tet merits re-reading several times. Several important points there.

The old story of losing the battle (arguably, every battle against the US and overseas Allied military) but winning the war. Because you simply fight on and on (and foreign military aid shipped into Haiphong, with little interference allowed, does not hurt either.)

There were a large number of PAVN/NLF victories versus the US forces.

It takes a good deal of mental gymnastics to claim the US never lost a battle, but some people seem to be able to do this no matter how much evidence is put in their way…

The battle's lost were on a smaller scale than the 'big war' MACV desperately wanted to fight, but small scale battles were the most common and added up to an attrition rate the US could not afford [politically] to maintain.

The US overseas allies were pure window dressing. The ANZAC forces were so small as to be scarcely worth while, and they refused to fight in the way the US wanted so got some negative criticism which is usually covered up.

The ROK troops were so brutal as to recruit more NLF than they killed PAVN/NLF. In the end they were sidelined to a quiet area and mostly stayed in their base areas.

And the ARVN, barring a few famous and relatively effective units were corrupt, badly trained, appallingly led, and low in morale and fighting spirit. Not as bad as the grunt humour would have us believe but still only marginally effective at best. And guilty of war crimes on a monumental scale to boot.

And – it should not need to be said but the PAVN/NLF were guilty of their own crimes too. They do not cancel out. That should be obvious really.

Much of Skarper's Tet analysis I find generally correct/accurate … but not all. Of course I come from another POV entirely, etc.

Much of Skarper's Tet analysis I find generally correct/accurate … but not all. Of course I come from another POV entirely, etc.

Please share!